He'll Meet You There
“Here’s what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace. Matthew 6:6 (The Message, MSG)
In this verse, Jesus is telling His followers to pray in private so it is just between them and God, not out in public to look good in front of people. The point I want to make about this verse is not about the reason for private prayer, but the concept of a quiet, secluded place to pray and be with God.
In other posts, I have mentioned the ability we have to be in an attitude of prayer with God all day long- keeping the lines of communication open at all times. Today, I want to touch on the importance of having what some people call a prayer closet. I prefer to call it my secret place, but you can call it your God place, prayer room, or whatever title you wish. The significant thing is to have a set spot to be with God each day.
Why is it important to have a specific place where you study the Word, pray, worship, and spend time with the Lord? There a few reasons.
A secret place provides you a routine place to go for your “God time,” so it makes prayer and other spiritual disciplines a part of a regular routine. If you have a specific place, it makes it easier to have a specific time for God each day. It is like having an appointment every day and having an appointed place to go for the appointment. If you have the place, keeping the appointment is easier.
A secret place gives you privacy. Privacy in prayer is key because it allows you to be real, open, and uninhibited with God. If you know that you are in a place with only God and you, you can speak your heart to Him, even cry out when you need to.
A secret place blocks out distractions. If you are in your secret place, there are fewer interruptions. If you have set up boundaries with the rest of the family so they know not to disturb your time in your secret place, you can get in a flow of worship, prayer, and communion with the Lord- and stay in it. And in your secret place, you can turn your eyes (and your mind) away from things like dirty dishes, laundry, and other duties that will try to distract you.
There is no special way you need to set up your space, as long as you have a place to study the Word and pray. However, I would make a recommendation. Atmosphere helps set the mood for our appointment with God, so decorate with things that point to God- maybe put scriptures on the walls. If you are going to speak any faith confessions, you may want to put them up. Some people choose to put up their vision boards or other viual reminders of their goals and prayer requests. Have something available to play worship music, like a CD player, your phone or other device. (As I mention phones, I want to issue a word of warning- the secret place is no place to check text messages, look at social media or many other things you can do on your phone or other electronic device. If you cannot resist using your phone for those purposes, then do not bring it in.) The ideas for setting up your space are endless, but as much as possible, make it a place that sets the right atmosphere.
I know that each person’s situation is different. Maybe your home is not big enough for you to carve out a place just for you and God. In that case, I would recommend that you try to find a time when everyone else is occupied elsewhere, maybe when they are sleeping. And pick one spot in the house where you will always meet with God during that appointed time- maybe its at the kitchen table or in a special chair in the living room. The most important thing is to have a meeting place- and meet with the Lord every day. Invite Him in to wherever you decide to do it. When you do, I can guarantee you that He’ll meet you there.
